The Young Master of the Dragon Clan had never suffered such humiliation. He glared at Lin Qing with irrepressible rage. “I am a high-born dragon! How dare you call me an earthworm!”
Lin Qing smirked. Although he was using the same face, he smiled with a wicked energy and his indifferent voice was filled with mockery. If he had not been restricted by his non-modern identity, he certainly would have made a mocking gesture.
“You little earthworm, rotten maggot, and spineless waste of a four-clawed insect.”
At this, Long Rixi exploded in fury. His hands transformed into sharp dragon claws covered in hard scales. “I will show you exactly how spineless I am!”
Lin Qing did not dodge or retreat. He moved to intercept the attack with his bare hands. Long Rixi was startled by this bold move and instinctively pulled back some of his strength. This was the partner he intended to marry and if he broke him now, he would be the one suffering later.
While the dragon held back, Lin Qing showed no such mercy. He pinned Long Rixi’s fist down, seized the opening, and delivered a brutal beating. What followed was a one-sided lecture of absolute suppression.
“A little bug like you dares to offend me? From now on, take the long way around when you see me. If I catch you again, I will pull out your dragon tendons and turn you into a permanent cripple.”
From this perspective, Lin Qing could only see the bruised and battered Long Rixi, but he felt his current self must look incredibly cool. It was not about looks but that arrogant aura of looking down on everything. This was something Lin Qing could never learn on his own, so he admired it deeply.
Once the beating was over and Long Rixi was sent crashing into a deep pit in the street, Lin Qing gave a cold and sweeping glance at the surrounding cultivators who were watching the commotion. Sensing the dangerous aura, they scattered instantly.
Lin Qing regained control of his body. He stretched out his hands and tried moving his fingers while still feeling a bit unaccustomed.
“What? Are you afraid your Master would break your body?” The Demon King’s irreverent attitude was nothing new, but for some reason, it made Lin Qing’s face flush this time.
“Master, please be serious.”
“Have you ever seen a serious demon? Little disciple, you should learn from me and loosen up a bit.”
Lin Qing gave a bitter smile. “Master, I would love to if only I had your strength.” The Dragon Clan was powerful, few in number, and incredibly protective of their own. To offend one dragon was to prepare for war against the entire species. If he had the power to destroy worlds, he would not just be teaching Long Rixi a lesson. He would be as arrogant as a legendary protagonist.
“You have your Master protecting you,” the Demon King said. “What is there to fear?”
For Lin Qing, true peace of mind only came from personal strength. “Master, has something happened these past few days? Is there anything I can help with?”
The Demon King knew he was changing the subject but followed along anyway. “I have been recovering well lately and went to settle some personal scores. But what about you? How did you run into a dragon in a place like this?”
Lin Qing recounted everything that had happened to the Demon King without leaving out a single detail. In the original plot, the protagonist never provoked the Dragon Clan. He wondered if going to the brothel and changing the plot had caused this.
The Demon King’s tone was mocking. “A dragon’s nose is sharper than a dog’s. That fellow was tracking you by scent and your illusion was useless against him. I will help you mask your aura so that earthworm does not pounce on you like a dog in heat again.”
“Thank you, Master.”
The cultivation grand competition was scheduled to last one month. The first seven days consisted of individual arena matches, followed by twenty days of trials in a secret realm.
It was already the early hours of the morning when Lin Qing returned. The organizers at the Ethereal Sect were already preparing for the arena matches and the participating disciples had been brought over by their respective elders to draw lots for their opponents. In the original plot, the winner this time was Yun Fan. Although he could not defeat the protagonist at full strength, his record among his peers was undefeated as the first supporting male lead to appear in this story.
Lin Qing had no interest in watching Yun Fan compete and was about to leave early when he heard a sound at his feet. He looked at a small yellow dog wagging its tail at him and glanced around. He wondered whose dog had wandered off.
A-Man ran over from a distance and squatted down with a joyful look. He spoke playfully. “Dahuang, so you are here! You are so naughty. Do you know how worried I was? If you run off again, I will punish you by skipping your dinner.” He patted the dog’s head with affection and picked it up. He seemed to only then notice Lin Qing’s presence and hurriedly bowed while holding the dog. “Master, this disciple greets you.”
Lin Qing nodded. “Yes.” He thought goodbye to the boy as he turned to leave again.
“Wait, Master!” A-Man called out. Lin Qing wanted to pretend he had not heard, but A-Man quickly ran in front of him to block his path. “Master, could you do me a favor?”
Lin Qing spoke expressionlessly. “I am busy.”
A-Man pressed his hands together and looked at Lin Qing with longing eyes. “Master, please. I am begging you.”
The Demon King gave a cold laugh. “Little disciple, this fellow is seducing you. But the technique is far too crude.”
A-Man held up the small yellow dog. “Master, I picked up A-Huang. He has no home and is very pitiful.”
“Oh,” Lin Qing replied.
“I have to compete for the next few days and will not have time to care for him,” A-Man said. “Could Master watch him for a while?”
“I do not know how to raise pets.”
A-Man pleaded. “Master, if no one feeds him, he will starve. Look how cute he is! He likes you very much and will definitely be obedient. Master, just take him for three days. After that, I will definitely take Dahuang back. Master, I beg of you.”
Lin Qing did not see how A-Man was supposedly seducing him, but he did see that if he did not take the dog, this fellow would never leave him alone. The dog tried several times to get down and nuzzle Lin Qing, but A-Man quietly pressed its head back down.
Lin Qing looked at the thick-headed little yellow dog. “I can take him, but I prefer quiet and obedient things. I will have to perform a small operation on him first.”
“Great! A-Huang will definitely listen to Master!” A-Man handed the dog over and feared Lin Qing would change his mind. A-Man did not care what the operation was as long as he achieved his goal.
Lin Qing immediately put the dog on the ground before it could nuzzle him. He then exchanged a thumb-thick golden rope from the System space, tied a knot around the dog’s neck, and held the other end. Under the confused gaze of the little dog, he said that good dogs stay on a leash when they go out.
The dog did not seem to understand and spent time spinning in circles trying to bite the rope. The System felt as if its core chip was about to burn out. It shouted frantically. [Host, that is a prop for binding people, not a dog leash!]
Lin Qing replied that the rope worked quite well. The rope would not break no matter how much it was pulled, yet it was resilient enough not to cause skin injuries. It was perfect for taming any disobedient large pet. After struggling with the rope for a while, the little yellow dog gave up and followed Lin Qing dejectedly.
The Demon King said dissatisfiedly. “Disciple, if you take this dog, he will use it as an excuse to see you again. This boy just wants to get close to you.”
“Master, if he wants to get close to me, he will find another excuse even without the dog.”
The Demon King was puzzled. “Why are you defending a dog? Do you actually like it?”
“It is quite cute.” Lin Qing led the dog back to his courtyard. He sat down at a desk in the study and beckoned to the dog. “Dahuang, come here.”
The dog instantly forgot its troubles with the leash and wagged its tail vigorously as it walked toward Lin Qing.